What's the Present without the Past?
by CreativeCourt2
Summary: Memories forgotten, not on purpose, that are hard to replace. What would you do? Struggle through with the ones you love or give up? Read and review! Not good at summaries! Naley, Brucas, Jeyton!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me, I do not own any part of the characters which have been so carefully taken from the show and manipulated to perform different actions by my creative mind and simply only take credit for the storylines they will be pursuing not on the television show, but on my page of fiction only. Hence the word, FICTION, it's not real, I don't know them (although I really wish I did because James Lafferty should be illegal for being that fine) and probably never will so don't be offended... With that in mind, let's proceed shall we?

**Chapter 1**

Strands of lights twirled around street lamps lined the sidewalks of Tree Hill, North Carolina. Houses decked out in painfully, eye-shielding colors were lit up for all to see, with candy canes leading up to huge wooden doors with enormously, oversized wreaths. The smell of fresh-baked cookies and pine cones was in the air. Children caroling filled the town with music, and the hustle and bustle in Karen's Café, meant only one thing. Christmas time was approaching rapidly.

It was a normal Friday night. School was out for two glorious weekends, and happiness was in the air. The two friends sat rather loudly, at an empty table in the back of the Café. Their laughter caused those who stopped in for a quick cup of coffee, to glance in their direction giving out looks of curiosity, wonder, amazement, and of course annoyance.

The two friends were not affected by these onlookers. In fact, they didn't even notice, they were simply too caught up in each other's gossip and overall company. Playing cards adorned the table, along with cups of coffee and hot chocolate and plates of hamburgers and french fries, or what was left of them. The girl was clad in a ridiculous looking, yet cute pink and white stripped beanie along with matching scarfs and gloves. The boy wore a simple gray-hooded sweatshirt with the words "Keith's Auto Body Shop" on the back. An older woman, one would guess as Karen, watched tentatively from behind the counter. A smile stretched from her forehead to her toes crossed her face. Things were finally starting to look up.

"Go Fish!" Haley James cried while slamming her cards down onto the table. It was true, she sure did have a winning knack at this game. She laughed at the puppy-dog face Luke made at her and stuck out her tongue.

" Do you ever wonder why they call it Go Fish? When I was little I used to think it was Gold Fish, which would actually make more sense if you think about it because when something is golden, it's like winning so..."

" Remind me why I'm friends with you again?" Lucas asked quizzically. He raised an eyebrow at the shocked look on his best friend's face and couldn't tell if it was there because he had cut her off or because of the words he had spoken. Both equally rude.

"Lucas Scott" she recovered with a quick slap on the arm, " do you know how what your life would be like without me" she smiled proudly and framed her face with her hands.

" Well, for one thing instead of spending my Friday night playing Go Fish like a five year-old I might be out on a date, or at a party, you know doing normal high school things." he sarcastically replied.

"Been there done that. Look where it got me." she shot back. A look of sadness quickly scanned her face before she replaced it with a shrug and a sigh.

Life hadn't been too easy on Haley James since she'd been back. After going away on a worldwide tour in hopes of pursuing her dreams as a singer, everything and everyone she knew either gave up on her or fell apart. Now that she was back, she was desperately trying to salvage anything she could, starting with her marriage to Nathan Scott.

" Speaking of which, how is my loving brother?" Lucas asked out of mock curiosity. Ever since his wife had left him, Nathan Scott had turned his back on anything or anyone that reminded him of her, including Lucas.

" Oh more loving than ever." Haley smiled at a recent memory of the other night. After losing his first basketball game, Nathan had allowed Haley to walk him home. It was a start. "Things are starting to turn around. I can't exactly say we'll be making love anytime soon or having moonlit dinners on the beach, but I wouldn't expect those things anyway. Hell I"m lucky he is even throwing me a freaking bone!" Haley took a sip of her hot chocolate and winced when it burnt her tongue. Lucas just laughed.

"Oh wow Hales, thanks for the visual. The whole making love thing, didn't need to hear but needless to say I'm glad to hear that things are better. And for your information Haley Elizabeth James for like the fifteenth millionth time, don't be ashamed of leaving. You deserved a chance to pursue something you loved. I'm just glad your back." Lucas lovingly, but in a brotherly way smoothed her cheek and winked at her. She blushed in return.

" So speaking of better, how are things with you and Tigger?" Haley asked hopefully. After Lucas had just recently caught Brooke in bed with Chris, the town's swore enemy, their non-exclusive dating rule had certainly been diminished. Especially because, Lucas was in love with her and Brooke was with him too, but unfortunately didn't realize it until after she had hurt him.

"I'd rather not talk about it." he had that stern look on his face, which warned Haley to not push.

" For what it's worth Luke, and I'm not taking sides because I used to be part of the Anti- Brooke Davis club, she is hurting. She made a mistake, we all lose our way sometime. I'm walking proof of that." but before she could say another word Lucas cut her off abruptly.

"Hurting. What do you think I'm doing Hales? I'm not exactly a ball of sunshine either you know! Yeah we make mistakes, but don't use yourself as an example. Your at least trying to fix yours, that's the difference." he crossed his arms over his chest and dared her to challenge him back.

"And Brooke's not Luke? She tried to talk to you, but instead you decided to catch a ride with the new whore in town, and when I say ride I'm not just talking about in her Tahoe. Don't act as if your innocent here either Luke, as I recall, you made a similar mistake awhile back with a certain blonde. Ah yes, I believe than you and Ms. Davis were exclusive but apparently that didn't stop you." Haley couldn't help the disgust that laced into her voice.

" Innocent! You want to talk about innocent? Don't sit here and preach to the choir Hales, at least when I cheated on Brooke with Peyton I didn't have a wedding band on my finger. Don't be a hypocrite!"

"He kissed me and you know it!"

"Yeah and you didn't exactly stop him did you? Oh by the way did he force you to leave your husband as well?" Lucas immediately regretted his words when he saw the tears fill her eyes. He had crossed his boundaries.

" Do me a favor Luke, next time you see me don't talk to me!" he remembered these words all too well. It's what Haley said every time they got into an argument and than he always replied with...

"Fine!" He watched as she angrily pushed out her chair and stomped out the door. Her vision was blurred with a mixture of tears and anger. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of something silver that flashed on the table. It was Haley's wedding band. She took it off every time she ate and would only forget it in a hurry. Sighing, he picked it up and ran to the door.

Unfortunately for him it was too late, he watched as his best friend since childhood, was hit by a car that immediately zoomed away. For a second his body stayed frozen to the ground with shock, and than in an instant it dawned on him what had just happened. Without a second thought, his feet carried him to the crime scene and next to his best friend's side.

Onlookers whispered quietly, and many of them began taking out their cell phones in an attempt to dial 911.

Lucas remembered the awful words he had spoken to her, and the tears that filled her beautiful brown eyes. And than he prayed.

She just had to be alright.

_What's next you ask?_

_No Haley is not dead, what would than be the point of my story?_

_Nathan's reaction_

_The icky hospital_

_The news_

_Read and review please!_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me, I do not own any part of the characters which have been so carefully taken from the show and manipulated to perform different actions by my creative mind and simply only take credit for the storylines they will be pursuing not on the television show, but on my page of fiction only. Hence the word, FICTION, it's not real, I don't know them (although I really wish I did because James Lafferty should be illegal for being that fine) and probably never will so don't be offended... With that in mind, let's proceed shall we?

**Chapter 2**

Nathan Scott was a wreck. No, slash that. Nathan Scott was a disaster. His head these days was seriously being toyed with and he didn't like it one bit. He was used to having control, he'd mastered the art. Nathan had superficial control; this kind of control consisted of control over his teachers to let him slide on that one homework assignment because basketball practice ran too late, or control over the woman at the mall who sold him his phone for a discounted price in an exchange for a wink and a nod. Yes he definitely had always had that kind of control. He had for yourself control; this kind of control led him to being the best basketball player he could be, or drove him to emancipating himself from his parents. Check, definitely had that kind of control. However, he didn't have the one kind of control he seemed to crave at that certain moment and that was, emotional control.

He glanced at six other anxious faces, each filled with a different emotion. His eyes shifted to the blonde-haired rebel, a former love if you will. Her expression was one she had perfected over the years; stony, emotionless on the surface yet tortured beneath. She always had a soft spot for Haley. Seated right next to her, was the bubbly cheerleader who was no longer perky. She hadn't been for the past couple of weeks, which ultimately led him to wonder if there was such thing as optimism. Unlike Peyton, Brooke didn't hide her emotions, judging from her mascara-stained face she released them openly for all to see. Healthy, yet heartbreaking. Next to her sat Karen, Haley's self-proclaimed step-in-mother- who wasn't really a step in at all, but rather the real thing. Like any mother, she too put on a front; tried to act brave in front of the teenagers, but Nathan could see the fear and uncertainty in her eyes. Directly across from him sat his sworn enemy; the man Haley had left to tour the world with, Chris Keller. He gingerly picked at a fingernail, and it was in that moment that Nathan could tell he didn't give a damn. He looked bored, arrogant, and cold-hearted and it was apparent to everyone that he was only there to stir up drama. Than of course came Nathan's former parents, one out of true support, the other out of greedy motivation. Deb wanted to be there for her son, wanted to amend the fences she had broken, whereas Dan was simply there to boost his chances of winning the election by being a "supportive" father.

"Is there a Nathan Scott present?" a man dressed in a white lab coat asked tentatively to the fragile group in front of him. He had seen many cases like the one that had just arrived and had broken many hearts, but still got nervous every time he had to speak with a loved one.

"That's me." Nathan stood up, praying he had the strength to walk, and looked directly at the doctor.

" Can I speak to you for a moment alone Mr. Scott?" he asked, while quickly apologizing to the rest of the group.

"Of course." Nathan followed the doctor over to an empty corridor and waited for some news.

"I'm presuming your wife is Mrs. Haley James Scott correct?" When Nathan nodded his head the doctor continued. "I'm Doctor Deacon and I've been taking care of her. I'd like to notify you of her current condition. You can breathe easy Mr. Scott, your wife is going to make it, however there will be certain limitations. You see, when the car hit Haley, the part of her brain that controls memories was severely ruptured. The impact also put Mrs. Scott into a coma. Her vital signs are good, and besides a few scrapes and bruises as well as a broken arm, she seems to be doing okay. As you know comas can last as long as years to mere hours, it's just a matter of time. Now when she does wake up, which we all pray she will, she won't ever be the same. She will have no recollection of the past but will be able to function properly. She isn't paralyzed and she won't be a vegetable. Your case isn't rare Mr. Scott. Thousands of people everyday are put into the same state and make it out okay. I know it's a lot to take in, but maybe if you took some time with your wife, it'd help her wake up. Studies show, that patients even in a comatose state, can hear you 70 of the time. Try it." with a sympathetic pat and push in her room's direction, the doctor was off to deal with his next patient.

Nathan didn't know what to feel. On the one hand, he wanted to be mad at Haley, he wanted to truly believe that she deserved it. On the other hand, he wanted to so badly to give in to the side of him that was so desperately afraid because he didn't know if he could live without her. This was the kind of control he was talking about.

Walking into that hospital room, any prior negative thoughts were completely expelled from his mind and concern took their place. His Haley, looked so little and tiny in that hospital bed. So bruised and beaten, yet beautiful. So lost and defeated, yet peaceful. It took every fiber in his body to restrain him from breaking down in the doorway. Quietly, afraid of disturbing her, he walked over to the chair that was placed beside her bed. He cleared his throat, and took her by the hand.

"Hey Hales. It's me Nathan. So I know thing haven't been great between us lately, and I know you think it's all your fault. You know what though? Everything is my fault. If it wasn't for my greedy intentions to ruin Lucas's life, I would have never met you. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I did meet you, so glad, but if I never had, we would have never gotten married, than almost divorced, and you wouldn't have wound up in here." he paused a moment to glance around and winced. Haley had always hated hospitals.

" I know how hard you have been trying Haley, I see it everyday. I NEED you to wake up though Haley, so I can start trying. It's my turn to win you back. You've made me into the person I am, and without you, that person will die." Nathan didn't bother to wipe the stray tear from his eye and let it fall onto Haley's hand.

His voice sounded hoarse and was getting softer and softer but he had to finish what needed to be said.

" I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry and I love you." He squeezed her hand. Wait, was that a squeeze back? No it had to be his imagination gone wild, stress will do that to you. Nathan felt another twitch. Okay he definitely wasn't imagining that. He glanced up and saw Haley's eyes flutter open.

At first he saw, happiness, than uncertainty, and lastly fear. She regarded him as a stranger and looked truly frightened. She immediately snatched her hand out of his grasp. Nathan was shocked at the notion, but was even more appalled at the words she choked out next.

"Who are you?"

_Stay tuned, Next Time:_

_Where's Lucas you ask, stick around and you'll find out_

_Where do Nathan and Haley go from here? Will he have enough patience? _

_Group reactions to the situation_

_And a touch of humor! I know it's getting to serious, but fear not, I can be just as funny!_

_Who hit Haley? And was it on purpose or accident?_


End file.
